OK I can confirm that the method for installing Android SDK and using ADB in the original post for Ubuntu 11.04 also works with the horrible looking, "unity" infested, Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot. There are some minor changes from the OP and how it will work with 11.10/11.04. Here are the steps I took to get ADB working like a charm. Again, all the credit goes to the original poster. I'm just reporting my experience using his method/advice:

Method 2 (I'm still leaving this here but I strongly suggest you use method 1): If Synaptic is not acting weird (it does in 12.04 Beta), use this method. Since Ubuntu no loinger includes Synaptic, go to Ubuntu Software Center, search for it, check all the add-ons in the middle, apply the changes, once done, click install in the right hand corner. Once installed start the package manager (start typing synaptic in the dock's search) and click on it. Now click on settings/repositories. Click the "other software" tab and click ADD. Now in the APT line copy and paste this: ppa:ferramroberto/java

click add source and then add volume and close. When you are back in the Synaptic window, click reload. Once reloaded, in the quick filter field type java6. You will see some entries, you need to "right click" the box and choose mark for installation for 4 items: sun-java6-bin, sun-java6-jre, sun-java6-jdk, sun-java6-plugin. Click apply and now you should see the box next to those items as green. You are done with java.

2- Download and Install Android SDK (which has ADB included of course):

Click and download the Linux version. Go to your Download folder and “right” click the .tgz file and click extract here. Now you have a folder called android-sdk-linux. Cut it from this folder and paste it in the Home folder. Note that the most of the names have changed from the original post.

Fire up a terminal (search for terminal in the dock's search field) and change directory from Home (that terminal opens in) to android-sdk-linux/tools type:

cd android-sdk-linux/tools

( you can do it in one step like above or two steps, first cd into the android-sdk-linux then into tools)

Now update the sdk by typing:

./android update sdk

The update window and the sdk open up. By default, all platforms have been selected to be installed. This will take a very long time; so if you don't need all those platforms, only pick a few you need to install. I chose all and it took me a few hours. No harm to choose all but be warned, it takes for ever.

HTC and MOTO now want you to have a dev account. You can create one, it takes a few seconds for each. Once you enter your new login and password in the SDK update window once, you don't need to enter it for all their platforms.

3- make sure USB debugging box is checked on your phone, settings/applications/development. Now connect your phone. You DO NOT want to turn on USB storage and you should see the usb debugging connected message.

4- In the terminal type:

cd android-sdk-linux/platform-tools

to go to that folder. Now type:

./adb devices

If you see your device in something like this, you are done.

List of devices attached
HT12HS005115 device

But I doubt it. I've never seen it work that easily. You have to give permission to your phone. While still connected to your phone, in the terminal type lsusb to get a list of all usb devices. Usually the last one is your phone. I didn't know HTC stood for High Tech Computer Corp so it took me a few seconds to locate it. Now right down the 9 character (xxxx:xxxx) ID to the left of your phone.

In the terminal, type in cd then press enter to be at the ~$ prompt. Now type:

sudo gedit /etc/udev/rules.d/99-android.rules

to create a blank file and open it (you have to enter your root password every time you type sudo. You don't see anything being typed but it's there. If you are here reading this you already knew that though). In the file type (copy and paste of course):

save and exit. Make sure you are not adding or omitting anything or you will get an error. You need to restart your computer, kill adb and restart adb as above, and unplug/re-plug your phone to complete this step. Now press cd and enter to be at ~$ prompt. Lets see if adb works without being in that folder: type:

adb devices

if you get the same device name and serial number you got when you were in the adb directory, you are done. You can now run adb from anywhere as a command. If you don't, unplug and re-plug the phone, restart the terminal and should work.

Fastbootupdate 02-22-12: It seems like Google has included fastboot in the platform-tools folder now. Before doing anything check and see if it's there. If it is, all you need to do is test it. Go to the last paragraph marked by *** in this section to test fastboot.

You may run into a guide that would ask you to use fastboot to accomplish something. So it's nice to have it handy when needed but don't be going around using commands you know nothing about. It may mess up your device.

For fastboot to work, you have to have S-OFF and be in the bootloader (fastboot menu). Remember, Bootloader/fastboot is not the same as the recovery menu. Unlike adb, nothing happens if you have your phone booted normally, you have to be in the fastboot menu. Now go to http://koushikdutta.blurryfox.com/G1/ and download the right version (Linux of course). Extract the zipped file and rename it fastboot for ease of use. Cut and paste it into your android-sdk-linux/platform-tools folder from the above settings. Because you set your path above to be able to issue commands from both tools and platform-tools folders, you are done. I chose the platform-tools since Google has moved adb from the tools folder to this folder. I read somewhere that they by mistake omitted fastboot from the latest version of Androiod SDK.

***Now to test it, turn your phone off and boot into the bootloader manually (each phone has different combo keys for this) or fire up a terminal and type:

Marshall33

running linuxmint 12...after installing the sdk and running it when i get to the end of the platform downloads i get this error message: Stopping ADB server failed (code 1). Unable to run 'adb': Cannot run program "/home/benjamin/android-sdk-linux/platform-tools/adb": error=2, No such file or directory. Starting ADB server failed (code 1).

cowsquad

running linuxmint 12...after installing the sdk and running it when i get to the end of the platform downloads i get this error message: Stopping ADB server failed (code 1). Unable to run 'adb': Cannot run program "/home/benjamin/android-sdk-linux/platform-tools/adb": error=2, No such file or directory. Starting ADB server failed (code 1).

cowsquad

did you fix your issue already. You redownload the platform tools off of sdk.Go to terminal emulator and navigate to you tools folders then launch up the sdk and click on android SDK platform-tools, delete that and reinstall it.Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2